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Google’s Christmas Present? Free WiFi Across US Airports

Google has today announced a partnership with a number of wireless service providers to give free Wi-Fi to Airports users through to January 15, 2010.

47 airports in total will offer the gift including Las Vegas, San Jose, Boston, Baltimore, Burbank, Houston, Indianapolis, Seattle, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, St. Louis and Charlotte. Additionally, as a result of this project, Burbank and Seattle airports will begin offering airport-wide free Wi-Fi indefinitely.

With some travelers spending more time on the ground in airports than on planes during the busy flying season, this is Google’s way of giving you something to do – namely asking you to set Google as your homepage and/or to try the Google Chrome browser.

The company is also running a charity campaign to raise money for three nonprofit groups: Engineers without Borders, One Economy Corporation and Climate Savers Computing Initiative. When Google WiFi users first log on, the landing page will offer them the option of donating to the organizations. Google will match donations of up to $250,000 per airport.

Credit to Google, they definitely know how to balance the good with some weighty marketing.